Lifting instrument



C. YACKEL..

LIF'HNG INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION meu APH. 1.5K, 1,918.

1,336,461 Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

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NTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL YACKEL, 0F SYRAGUSE, NEW YORK.

LIFTING INSTRUMEN T.

Application filed April 15,

[0 all wlw/a t may concern;

Be it lrnown that I, CARL YACKEL, a subject ot the Emperor of Germany, and resident et Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lifting instruments, et which the following, taken in connection with the .accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in lifting instruments of the tongpincer type adapted to be used for handling heated articles, as for example manipulating clothes in boiling water in a laundry tub or boiler, placing and removing pie tins in and vtroni an oven, and in other relations where such an instrument might be of service.

The main object is to construct and assemble the pivoted members oi the tongs or pincers in such manner as to leave a clear open space of approximately elliptical cross section between the adjacent edges of the jaws when the gripping points thereof are in contact so that portions of the articles gripped between said ends may have free play in the open space.

Another object is to recess the contiguous faces of the intersecting` portions of both pivoted members to the same degree substantially equal to the thickness of said intersecting portions` and to extend said recesses longitudinally along the jaws and handles a suihcient distance to allow a maximum opening and closing of the jaws without actually bringing the handles into contact when the jaws are closed, thus affording a linger space between the handles at all times to facilitate their free manipulation with one hand in opening and closing the jaws upon the article.

A further object is to avoid any possibility of shearing said article by the portions of the jaws adjacent the pivot.

That is to incline the adjacent edges of the heels of the jaws nearest the pivot so that if an article should be impinged between such portions, the inclined edges would tend to force such articles away from the pivot instead of producing a shearing effect thereon.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the tongs will be brought out in the following description.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

1918. Serial No. 228,611.

In the drawings` Figures vl and 2 are, respectively, a face view and an edge view of a clothes tongs embodying certain features of my invention.

Figs. 3 and e are enlarged transverse sectional views taken, respectively, on lines 3 3 and i4, Fig. l.

Figs. 5 and 6 are, respectively, a tace view and an edge View ot a tongs for handling pie tins and similar receptacles as a modification et the form shown in Figs. 1 to e, inclusive.

The tongs shown in Fig. l comprises two similar members -1- of the same size and forni, but arranged in reverse order so as to cross each other, and are pivotally connected at their intersections by a bolt or rivet "Q the portions of said members at one side of the pivot being arched longitudinally in opposite directions to form longitudinally concavo-convex jaws *3 having their concave edges 'facing each other to form a longitudinally elongated opening *4- when the Jfree ends of the jaws are closed one upon the other, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The jaws --8- are of the same form and size and the major portions thereof are ,disposed in the same plane at right angles to the pivot 2- so that the eXtreme ends of their adjacent edges may be brought into contact and inclosed, leaving the remaining portions of the concave edges spaced some distance apart, said extreme ends being slightly convened longitudinally at 5- to assure a positive grip upon the article, such as clothes, without liability of cutting or otherwise mutiliating the same.

In order that the major portions of the jaws may be brought into the same plane as previously described, the adjacent faces orn the intersecting portions of both parts are recessed longitudinally at -6- to the same depth or degree substantially equal to haiic the thickness or" the major portions of the jaws, and these recesses are extended longitudin ally considerable distances beyond and to opposite sides oi the pivot 2- along the adjacent portions of the jaws -3- and handles -7, thereby leaving suiiicient clearance between the inner ends of the over-A hanging portions of the jaws to avoid any possibility of shearing or biting engagement between said overhanging portions.

In other words, when the jaws are closed, the opening -4- extends a considerable distance beyond the outer ends of the recesses -6- toward the pivot Q-,- so that the adjacent edges ot the recessed portions of the jaws incline or diverge from each other away from the pivot -2- to reduce to a ininiinuin the liability ot the clothes becoming caught and mutilated between those portions of the jaws.

The major portions ot' the handles --T- are straight'and substantially parallel, but in spaced relation when the jaws are closed, said handles beingl slightljY curved toward cach other as tliejvv approach the pivot Furthermore, the major portions ot the handles between the recesses -6 are disposed in the saine plane as the major portions ot the jaws 2l-w. the recesses GQ being extended troni the pivot -2- alongl the handles to the adjacent ends of the straight portions thereof so as to allow the straight portions of the handles to apgi'oaoh each other without shearing or biting` engagement one with the other to avoid any liability of pinching the fingers between them, even though the hand ot the operator may be brought reasonably close to the pivot.

Both ot the pivotallv connected members ot the tongs or pincers are preieial)lj7 made of hard wood and are substantially rectangular or square in cross sec-tion so that the faces thereof are uniformly smooth and flat in Cross section, while their outer .faces are unii'f. ,iinl,v siaooth and ilat from end to end, the adjacent tacos oft the crossing portions being also [iat and smooth, except that the portions thereof at the ends ot the recesses are curved or beveled, at -S-. as shown more clearly in F Q', 3 and 4f.

The tongs shown in Figs. 5 and 6 are quite similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to l, inclusive, except that one ot' the jaws, as #fli has a relativelj.v broad and beveled end bear-y ing face -9-, the lower edge of which protrudes some distance beyond the biting edge of its companion jaw -2-5- to contorni as closely as possible to the inelined side,

as -a-, of a pie tin or equivalent utensil r1 .`he biting edge, as -10-, of the jaw Sl- 1s narrow, but rounding or sharply converged, to more readily enter the groove positive grip et the jaws when closed uponV that portion of the tin to hold said tin against displacement Without excessivepres- Vsure of the operator upon the handles, the

beveled face or recess 9- serving` to additionally support the bodv of the tin when its marginal --ais gripped between the 'biting edges ot the jaws.

Otherwise, the construction of the inembers of the tongs is similar to that prcviously described for the Construction shown in Figs. 1 to e, inclusive.

What l claim is:

A lifting instrument tor pie tins com` prising two levers crossing each other and pivoted together at the crossing, said levers having handles at one side of the. pivot and jaws at the opposite side of said pivot, said jaws having biting edges at their extreme outer ends, the portions of the aws between the biting edges and pivot being arched in opposite directions trom each other, one ot said jaws having a substantially straight ond facel inolining downwardly ind Ytorwardly Yfrom its biting edge, the other jaw terminating at its biting edge a dista-nce from the pivot corresponding to the distance between said pivot and the biting edge ot the opposite jaw so as not to lap upon the straight inclined face of the last-named jaw when the jaws are closed. u

In witness whereof I have hereunto set in v hand this 8th day or" April, 1918.

CARL YACKEL.

Witnesses H. E. CHASE, Apron M. CANNON 

